Teatcup liner series with varying mouthpiece flexibility

ABSTRACT

A teatcup liner comprises an upper mouthpiece, an intermediate barrel and a lower connecting tube. The upper mouthpiece further comprises a mouthpiece transition, a mouthpiece lip, and a groove formed in an outer surface of the upper mouthpiece. The intermediate barrel extends along an axial direction for receiving a teat inserted axially thereinto through said mouthpiece. An inner dimension of the upper mouthpiece defines a cavity bore and the groove is located substantially in line with the largest diameter of the cavity bore.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/719,304 filed Dec. 19, 2012which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/836,630,filed Jul. 15, 2010, entitled “Teatcup Liner Series with VaryingMouthpiece Flexibility,” now U.S. Pat. No. 8,375,894 issued Feb. 19,2013, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to equipment for the dairy industry, and moreparticularly to a teatcup liner series with varying mouthpieceflexibility.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a milking machine, a plurality of teatcups are connected torespective teats suspending from the udder of a mammal, such as a cow.Each teatcup assembly has a teatcup liner or inflation around arespective teat and defining a milk flow passage within the liner belowthe teat, and a pulsation chamber outside the liner between the linerand a teatcup shell. The system has a milking cycle with an on portionand an off portion. Milk flows from the teat towards a milking clawduring the on portion, and then to a storage vessel. During the offportion, the liner is collapsed around the teat, to aid in thecirculation of body fluids. Vacuum pressure is continuously applied tothe milk flow passage within the liner. Vacuum and ambient pressure arealternately and cyclically applied to the pulsation chamber between theliner and the teatcup shell, to open and close the liner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a teatcup liner comprises an upper mouthpiece, anintermediate barrel and a lower connecting tube. The upper mouthpiecefurther comprises a mouthpiece transition, a mouthpiece lip, and agroove on an outer surface of the upper mouthpiece to provideflexibility in the upper mouthpiece. The intermediate barrel extendsalong an axial direction for receiving a teat inserted axially thereintothrough said mouthpiece.

In another embodiment, a teatcup liner series comprises in combination aplurality of related teatcup liners, each liner having an uppermouthpiece, an intermediate barrel and a lower connecting tube. Theupper mouthpiece further comprises a mouthpiece transition and amouthpiece lip. The barrel extends along an axial direction forreceiving a teat inserted axially thereinto through said mouthpiece. Theteatcup liner series comprises n said liners L₁ through L_(n) whereinthe mouthpiece transition has a transverse thickness measuredperpendicular to said axial direction, and the transverse thickness ofthe mouthpiece transition decreases from L₁ through L_(n).

Various embodiments of the invention may have none, some, or all of thefollowing advantages. A liner series with increasing flexibility in themouthpiece, decreasing axial thickness of the mouthpiece lip, and/ordecrease transverse thickness of the mouthpiece transition from L₁through L_(n) allows a dairyman to choose the right balance andtrade-off between milking speed/harvest and liner slippage for hisparticular needs. Other advantages will be readily apparent to oneskilled in the art from the description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and itsadvantages, reference is now made to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a teatcup assembly;

FIG. 2 illustrates an isometric view of a teatcup liner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a teatcup liner series;

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of the teatcup liner series withlongitudinal and cross-sectional views;

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a liner used in ateatcup liner series; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a table of parameters that may vary from liner toliner in a teatcup liner series; and

FIG. 7 illustrates an isometric view of a liner from the teatcup linerseries of FIGS. 3 and 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a teatcup assembly 18 for milking a mammal 20 such asa cow. Teat 22 suspending from udder 24 of the mammal extends into theliner. Teatcup shell 26 is typically a metal, or plastic, memberdefining an annular pulsation chamber 28 around liner 16 between theliner 16 and the teatcup shell 26 and having a pulsation port 30 forconnection to a pulsator valve. Liner 16 is typically rubber or otherflexible material. The lower end of milk tube portion 14 of the liner 16provides a connection to a milking claw, which in turn supplies milk toa storage vessel. As noted above, vacuum pressure is continuouslyapplied to milk passage 32 within the liner 16 through milk tube portion14, and vacuum is alternately and cyclically applied to pulsationchamber 28 through port 30, to open and close liner 16 below teat 22. Anair vent plug 10 may be inserted through the wall 12 of the milk tubeportion 14 of the teat liner 16. A teat liner 16 is illustrated inisometric view in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a teatcup liner series 34 includingin combination a plurality of related teatcup liners 40 comprising nliners L₁ through L_(n), for example, as shown as the three liners L₁,L₃, and L₅. Each liner 40 has an upper mouthpiece 42, an intermediatebarrel 44 defined by a barrel wall 46, and a lower connecting tube 48.The barrel 44 extends along an axial direction 50 for receiving teat 22inserted axially thereinto through mouthpiece 42. The mouthpiece 42 hasa lip 52 having an aperture 54 therethrough for receiving teat 22. Lip52 has an axial thickness A measured parallel to axial direction 50.Barrel wall 46 has axially spaced upper and lower portions 56 and 58,with ribs 59 extending longitudinally from at least the upper portion 56to at least the lower portion 58. Upper portion 56 of barrel wall 46 hasa transverse thickness B measured transversely to axial direction 50.Lower portion 58 of barrel wall 46 has a transverse thickness C measuredtransversely to axial direction 50. Upper portion 56 of barrel wall 46has inner surfaces 60 defining a hollow interior with an uppertransverse span D thereacross taken transversely to axial direction 50.Lower portion 58 of barrel wall 46 has inner surfaces 62 defining ahollow interior with a lower transverse span E thereacross takentransversely to axial direction 50. Lip aperture 54 has a transversedimension taken transversely to axial direction 50 and defining amouthpiece bore F. In one embodiment, transverse thickness C is thickerat upper transverse span D than it is at lower transverse span E.

Mouthpiece 42 has an outside transverse dimension taken transversely toaxial direction 50 and defining mouthpiece outer diameter G. Mouthpiece42 has a cavity 64 between lip 52 and upper barrel 56. Cavity 64 has atransverse dimension taken transversely to axial direction 50 anddefining a cavity bore H. Cavity 64 has a volume I. Mouthpiecetransition 65 of transverse thickness J connects the lip 52 to theremainder of upper mouthpiece 42 and is defined by dimensions G and H.

In one embodiment, the transverse thickness J of mouthpiece transition65 decreases, such as continually, in the liner series from L₁ throughL_(n). Moreover, in one embodiment, the axial thickness A of lip 52decreases, such as continually, in the liner series from L₁ throughL_(n). In some embodiments of a liner series, both the transversethickness J of mouthpiece transition 65 and the axial thickness A of lip52 decrease, such as continually, in the liner series from L₁ throughL_(n). In any of these embodiments, the change in thickness J ofmouthpiece transition 65 may be achieved by maintaining the dimensionsinside the mouthpiece 42 (e.g., transverse thickness H) while varyingthe dimensions outside of the mouthpiece 42 (e.g., transverse thicknessG). In an alternative embodiment, the change in thickness J ofmouthpiece transition 65 may be achieved by maintaining the dimensionsoutside the mouthpiece 42 (e.g., transverse thickness G) while varyingthe dimensions inside the mouthpiece 42 (e.g., transverse thickness H).

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of the teatcup liner series 34 withlongitudinal and cross-sectional views. In particular, certain exampledimensions are provided for various thicknesses (measured inmillimeters). Moreover, cross-sections of each liner 40 in the series 34are provided at various locations (e.g., along O-O, P-P, Q-Q, and R-R ofliner L1; along S-S, T-T, U-U, and V-V of liner L2; and along W-W, X-X,Y-Y, and Z-Z of liner L3) along the length of a given liner 40.

Another embodiment of a liner 40 is shown in FIG. 5, wherein mouthpiece42 (e.g., mouthpiece transition 65 and/or lip 52) has varyingflexibility between models due to the presence of a groove 66 of varyingdepth K and/or width L, resulting in thickness M. Groove 66 may belocated substantially in line with the largest diameter of the cavitybore H and may be used to change the thickness M of mouthpiecetransition 65. For example, the thickness M of mouthpiece transition 65may be decreased despite maintaining the dimensions inside and outsidethe upper mouthpiece 42 (e.g., transverse thicknesses H and G) by addinggroove 66 having suitable depth K and/or width L. By increasing the sizeof groove 66, either by increasing depth K and/or width L, mouthpiece 42comprises less material (e.g., rubber) to resist bending, thereby makingmouthpiece 42 (e.g., mouthpiece transition 65 and/or mouthpiece lip 52)more flexible. In one embodiment, the liners of the liner series aremade such that the flexibility of mouthpiece 42 (e.g., mouthpiecetransition 65 and/or mouthpiece lip 52) increases in the liner seriesfrom L₁ through L_(n). This may be achieved by increasing either or bothof the depth or width of groove 66 in the liner series from L₁ throughL_(n). The milk flow rate through the liner series may be increased byincreasing the flexibility of the mouthpiece 42 from L₁ through L_(n).At the same time, however, the chances of liner slippage increase fromL₁ through L_(n) as the flexibility increases.

A construction with groove 66 would also be of benefit as a singleliner, apart from a liner series, as it would provide a relatively thickmouthpiece 42 (e.g., mouthpiece transition 65 and/or lip 52) whileallowing flexibility of the mouthpiece 42 (e.g., mouthpiece transition65 and/or lip 52). For example, by increasing the thickness M ofmouthpiece transition 65 (and/or by reducing the size of width L ordepth K of groove 66), mouthpiece 42 can be made stiffer and bydecreasing the thickness M of mouthpiece transition 65 (and/or byincreasing the size of width L or depth K of groove 66), mouthpiece 42can be made more flexible. Some stiffness in the mouthpiece 42 isappropriate in order to stand up to the vacuum pressure applied to theliner 40 during the milking process. In some embodiments, however, ifthe mouthpiece 42 is too stiff, liner 40 may actually restrict the flowof milk from the teat. By making mouthpiece 42 more flexible, the teat22 may be pushed against mouthpiece lip 52 without constricting fluids,such as blood and lymph.

In one embodiment, the parameters A and J are varied from liner to linerfrom L₁ through L_(n), as indicated in the table 100 illustrated in FIG.6. Table 100 provides example dimensions A and J provided in millimeters(mm). The disclosed combination enables selection of desired milkingcharacteristics. Liner L₅ provides the highest milk harvest and highestmilk speed, but also the greatest chance for liner slip. Liner L₁provides the lowest chance for liner slip and also the lowest milkharvest and milking speed. The dairyman can choose the right balance andtrade-off for his particular needs. As he moves top to bottom in table100, liner slip increases as does milk harvest and milking speed. As hemoves bottom to top in table 100, liner slip decreases as does milkharvest and milking speed.

Table 100 also indicates the amount of vacuum pressure that may beapplied to the liner 40 in the milking system. In a liner series usingliners 40 illustrated in either FIG. 3 or 4, the vacuum pressure settingof the milking system may be increased from L₁ through L_(n) as a resultof, for example, the increased flexibility of mouthpiece 42 from L₁through L_(n).

FIG. 7 illustrates an isometric view of a liner 40 from the teatcupliner series 34 of FIGS. 3 and 4. The upper portion 56 of liner 40 isround in lateral cross-section taken transversely to axial direction 50.The lower portion 58 of liner 40 is triangular in lateral cross-sectiontaken transversely to axial direction 50. Ribs 59 extend longitudinallyfrom at least the upper portion 56 to at least the lower portion 58.Ribs 59 extend laterally from the corners of the triangularcross-section. In one embodiment, ribs 59 extend laterally into theround cross-section area.

Although the example embodiments have been described in detail, itshould be understood that various changes, substitutions, andalterations can be made hereto without departing from the scope of thedisclosure as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A teatcup liner comprising an upper mouthpiece,an intermediate barrel and a lower connecting tube, wherein: the uppermouthpiece further comprises a mouthpiece transition, a mouthpiece lip,and a groove formed in an outer surface of the upper mouthpiece, whereinsaid groove has a first side that extends to the outer surface of theupper mouthpiece and a second side that extends to the outer surface ofthe upper mouthpiece, said intermediate barrel extending along an axialdirection for receiving a teat inserted axially thereinto through saidmouthpiece; and an inner dimension of the upper mouthpiece defines acavity bore and the groove is located substantially in line with thelargest diameter of the cavity bore.
 2. The liner of claim 1, whereinthe groove has a depth that is adjustable to change the flexibility ofthe upper mouthpiece.
 3. The liner of claim 1, wherein the groove has awidth that is adjustable to change the flexibility of the uppermouthpiece.